Facing the voters: Caroline Eason - 110 NC House District

By Chuck Thompson | Shelby Independent

Dr. Caroline Eason

EDITOR’S NOTE: The reporter for this article does not live in the 110 NC House District.

Caroline Eason is a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy. She is not only a third-generation independent community pharmacist, but also is a Republican running for the 110 NC House seat. The district is one of 120 districts in the North Carolina House of Representatives.

Eason, an Upper Cleveland native, with a taste for liver mush and politics, who is also a firm believer in her faith and a member of Hulls Grove Baptist Church, talked about why she felt compelled to run for the 110 NC House district, what she hopes to accomplish if elected, and who Caroline Eason is as a person. 

Facing off against Incumbent Rep. Kelly Hastings, who won two-thirds of the vote in the last election, 67.5%, and has represented the district since 2011, Eason has her mind set on winning the primary on March 3, believing it’s time to start making changes in a district that deserves a fresh face, new ideas, and to bring a different way to tackle serious issues head-on that are affecting North Carolinians every day.

“I've watched my dad and my grandpa serve people from across the pharmacy counter since as long as I can remember,” Eason said. “I knew that I wanted to keep that going and keep our pharmacies open and keep them in the family, keep them as an independent small business. That’s what led me to go into pharmacy.”

Eason said she noticed a concerning issue that was affecting small businesses across the state, with many being regulated by the same impactful policies of national corporations which put a stranglehold on state-sized and localized businesses, such as mom-and-pop pharmacies.

“Take the meatpacking industry, farmers in general, and community banks,” she explained. “Can you expect a community bank with much smaller deposits, in a smaller market cap to meet all the same regulations that a national bank does? It's the same concept, but it's in almost every industry.”

It’s choking small businesses, and locally owned pharmacies are no exception. She wondered why more people weren’t paying attention to small businesses slowly being bought up, or put out of business by national corporations.

“It’s happening to every industry,” Eason said. “It hurts them, and then they disappear. They become a memory in a photograph of what used to be.”

Having had an interest in politics since high school, Eason was inspired to help make a difference in struggling small businesses having to fight the choke hold of regulation that benefited national companies.

“Here at home, there are a lot of things in our lives that we don't realize are determined by state-level politics,” she said. “State-level policy, state-level legislation.”

Pharmacy is one of those fields where that legislation can be really impactful, leading to ease the burden on other industries where smaller businesses are operating in the state.

“After watching my dad and my grandpa work their tails off my whole life, and me dedicating my career to the same thing; I've worked as an employee in the pharmacy really since I was 12,” she explained. “So, it had been my whole dream really to keep the pharmacies going. And then it got to the point where about two to three years ago, we didn't know if the pharmacies were going to be there another month, let alone another year.”

With closings of any kinds of business comes job loss and thus affects the local economy, if it spreads too far.

One of Eason’s main focus points is on the economy, wanting strong job growth for both small businesses and all other employers.

“Certain manufacturers and companies may not be in my district, but their employees are,” she stressed. “They live in my district and that matters to me, even if the business may not be (in the 110 NC House district).”

Eason said she knows what it takes to fight for what she believes in, and is no stranger to forging her own path, being true to her roots and beliefs.

As a native of Lawndale, she carried her conservative values to college, where she grew both in her faith, her values and overcoming adversity being a conservative in a setting where one might not always be accepted by others for traditional conservative values.

“An overwhelming majority of outspoken people are not conservative at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,” she said as she walked across the old county courthouse square talking with The Shelby Independent. “However, I was able to find really good quality conservative friends, whether it be through church groups, organizations, or just talking to people; you'd be really surprised.”

She added, “And going to meetings for, say, college Republicans was also a way that I could connect with like-minded individuals.”

But Eason said she knows what it feels like to be left out, ignored, treated differently and lambasted by opponents, something that in recent weeks, she has fired back at her opponents when taking aim at her. She stressed the importance of the residents in her district to know that she will be a voice for everyone.

“If you're in my district, I'm representing you,” Eason said, firmly. “Whether you're registered Democrat, Republican, Independent, another third party. I will, if elected, I will be your representative.”

“And I want to be a listening ear to everyone,” she added.

(Eason interview continued below..)

Eason again stressed the importance of supporting the local economy through many aspects, across Cleveland and Gaston Counties.

“I want to work for the people of the 110 District, and across the state, to ensure that we have affordable, quality health care, which comes with protecting how special Cleveland and Gaston Counties are; and I’m advocate for all of those who fight to keep us safe and protected.”

She noted that keeping people safe wasn’t just from the usual crime, per se, but safe from a platitude of issues.

“I want to help ensure election integrity, support our law enforcement personnel who work tirelessly to keep drugs off the street.”

She continued, “If elected, I would start my term supporting law enforcement. And when that term ends, and if elected again, I'll keep supporting law enforcement, making sure they have the resources they need, have the support they require and the respect that they have earned.”

Eason stressed the importance that fighting for the people of the 110 won’t always be easy, or at a rate which some people may like, but it’s another fight worth taking on.

She also is willing to work with those across the isle, when necessary.

“Sometimes it's not as big of steps as people would want, but you certainly have to be willing to work with a governor of a different party and representatives of different parties who have common interests, because they are there representing the interest of their people. We’re all North Carolinians and should want what is best for the people of our state, not what’s best for the politicians.”

Nearing the end of our interview time, she said, “I love the people – how our people value tradition and how unique – yet aligned – our people are for good. Of course, it's the key to all of this, our unity and our good people.”

Primary election day is March 3.

Follow The Shelby Independent on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. To contact Chuck about a story idea, send an email or visit the contact page.

Chuck Thompson is a reporter and columnist for The Shelby Independent. 

The Shelby Independent.